And as on all Southern Crossings tours, you’re taken care of from beginning to end: all transfers including airport pickups are included!

Depart any day and customize your tour at no extra charge! We are custom tour specialists.

Bolivia Sampler

8 days: US$2400 per person Domestic flights included

Sample Bolivia from Lake Titicaca to the Amazon rainforest on this exciting eight-day tour. We’ll visit the capital city of La Paz, the ruins of Tiwanaku, the Island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca, and then round out our adventure with an exciting stay at a Chalalan Amazon rainforest lodge.

Day 1: Arrive La Paz. City tour this afternoon or on day 8.

Day 2: Morning visit to Tiwanaku ruins.

Day 3: Full day excursion to Island of the Sun. Return to La Paz in the evening.

Day 8: Departure day – city tour of La Paz if not on day 1.

Trip itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in La Paz the highest international airport in the world, anytime today and private transfer to your hotel. You´ll have a private city tour in the afternoon if there is time, visiting the Witches’ Market, colonial La Paz, downtown La Paz and the presidential plaza. Later you will visit the Valley of the Moon which gives the eerie sensation of being on the moon or another planet because of its strange rock formations. You will also have a chance to ascend the majestic Illimani Mountain on the highest urban cable car in the world. If there is not time for a city tour today, we will include one before your departing flight on day 8.

Day 2

This morning we head out of La Paz to the ancient ruins of Tiwanaku on a private tour. The Tiwanaku culture thrived from around 200 to 800 AD and controlled a large area of Bolivia and southern Peru. The ruins are fascinating, with strange, sculpted faces set in the walls of a sunken temple, and a huge carved archway called the Gate of the Sun. Return to La Paz in the afternoon.

Day 3

An early morning departure to Lake Titicaca by private transport, where we’ll board a boat to the Island of the Sun. The Island of the Sun is the mythical, and perhaps actual, origin place of the Incas. This morning we visit some fascinating maze-like proto-Inca ruins and then head by boat to the south side of the island for more sightseeing and a lunch with spectacular views of the lake. Afternoon return by boat to Copacabana then by private vehicle to La Paz.

Day 4-7

The Chalalan Amazon rainforest is this morning’s destination as we take a short flight over the Andes to Rurrenabaque, a bustling Amazonian outpost, where we will spend the first night. We’ll transfer to a motorized dugout canoe for our six-hour journey into the rainforest to Chalalan Rainforest Lodge, where we’ll spend the next three nights. Our cabins at the lodge have modern bathrooms and comfortable beds with mosquito nets, and the food here is great. Take an afternoon walk through the rainforest with an experienced naturalist guide, come back for dinner, then set off again for a nocturnal jungle canoe ride to spot caiman! The next day’s activities will include a visit to an oxbow lake to look for giant river otters, monkeys, macaws and other wildlife as well as jungle walks led by an experienced, English speaking guide. You’ll witness an array of medicinal and otherwise interesting flora and fauna, as well as gain some insight into native Amazonian peoples and traditions. We return to La Paz on day 7.

Day 8

Departure Day. City tour today if there wasn’t time on day 1 then private transfer to the international airport to catch your flight.

Is this trip for me?

Bolivia Sampler is an eight-day tour which includes walking in various ruins, on city tours and in the Chalalan rainforest. As always, a certain patience is required for the inconsistencies and delays of developing-world travel.

Please note: Southern Crossings has many relaxed tours, this tour however is for the more adventurous traveler. Please ask your client services assistant for more information on transport and accommodation for your specific tour.

Joining the tour

On all Southern Crossings tours, you are met at the airport by one of our representatives (holding a Southern Crossings placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel. No bargaining or being ripped off by airport taxis!

What’s included in the trip

Airport pickup – at the beginning of trip and drop off at end of the trip

Private Full-day Island of the Sun/Lake Titicaca excursion including bilingual guide, round-trip boat to/from the island, all entrances, guided tour of Inca ruins and south side of island, round-trip private transport from La Paz

Extra accommodation

We will gladly arrange additional accommodation for you before or after your trip: In La Paz: $120 double/$100 single.

Single Person Supplement: $1250

Please add this amount to the payment if you will be traveling alone.

Pre-trip planner

Required documents

All travelers to Bolivia are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for E.U., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders. A visa is required for U.S. citizens, which costs $135.00 and can be obtained at point of entry. Please visit the U.S. state department website for what you will need to present to obtain your visa. A visa can also be obtained in advance through any Bolivian consulate. For other nationalities, please consult the nearest Bolivian embassy or consulate. An onward ticket and proof of funds may also be required at entry and should be available to show to immigration. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, are sufficient for proof of funds.

Required immunizations

The Chalalan rainforest area of Bolivia (approx. 3500 ft. and below, east of the Andes) is a malarial and yellow fever zone. The yellow fever vaccination with the official certificate is required, and travelers may wish to take malarial prophylaxis. Travelers may also wish to receive hepatitis vaccinations and should be current on all other standard vaccinations. Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.

Things to bring

One should come prepared for outdoor activity at temperatures ranging from 40° to 85° Fahrenheit / 4° to 30° Celsius, and for extremes of sun and the possibility of rain. A recommended list of things to bring:

Passport and, if necessary, visa

ATM card (notify your bank you will be travelling to Bolivia)

Airline ticket

Photocopies of airline ticket and documents

Wearable pouch for documents and money

Sturdy backpack or suitcase

Smaller, comfortable day pack

Hiking boots or sneakers, comfortable and worn-in

Sandals or flip-flops

Rain poncho or jacket

Waterproof pants

Sun hat

Hat for cold weather

Warm clothing for cold weather (think layers)

T-shirts

Socks (thin wool or biking socks are best), undergarments

Camelback or Nalgene refillable bottle (optional)

Flashlight and/or head lamp

Sunscreen (biodegradable & eco-friendly)

Insect repellent (biodegradable & eco-friendly)

Lip balm

Earplugs

Alarm clock or watch

Sanitizing hand wipes or gel

Camera / Camera batteries

Reading material

Toiletries

It is best to bring from home such items as prescription medications, eyewear and care, unusual film and camera batteries.

Climate

Rain is possible at any time of year, especially in high mountains and on the Bolivian altiplano, and one should always be prepared. The climate in sites we will visit is as follows:

La Paz, Lake Titicaca, Tiwanaku: days are warm if sunny, chilly if cloudy. Nights are cold in La Paz and can be extremely cold in Uyuni and Potosi. Chalalan Amazon basin: hot and humid year-round. We recommend light clothing (in weight and in color) that fully cover arms and legs to avoid mosquito bites.

Money guide

The unit of currency in Bolivia is the boliviano. Automatic cash points are available in La Paz. Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards. Traveler’s checks are difficult to cash (American Express is best) or a Visa or MasterCard for cash advances are also options. Do not bring Money Grams or International Money Orders, as they are extremely difficult to exchange. Banks and exchange houses are available in La Paz, and exchange houses are available in Copacabana. For currency, U.S. dollars are recommended and most easily exchanged. Please note that cash must be untorn. It can be older-looking, but even the slightest tear on an edge will make it un-changeable. Acceptable bills come out of the ATMs in country.

Expect to spend about US$4-10 on a meal, US$1 on a beer, water or soft drink in Bolivia. Artisan market prices are usually lower than people expect. Alpaca sweaters, for example, run between $5 and $30. Currency Converter

The Bolivia Blitz tour is special in many ways. The great thing about Southern crossings is that the holiday is personal, there is an itinerary but it can be adapted to suit your special interests.We had excellent guides who were attentive throughout; we had some great conversations and many laughs.
The Bolivia Blitz tour is not to be missed. Bolivia is a special place, the people, the colours, the amazing scenery make it unique; the trip came up to our expectations and more. This was our second trip with Southern Crossings, we went to Peru a few years ago which was equally great. You see things as they are but you have the help and support of excellent guides who make it personal for you – a good combination whatever age you are. If you love South America and the Andes and want to see more take this trip we recommend it.